1. Field of the Invention
A fire escape device incorporated into new buildings or added to existing buildings by which occupants of the building may quickly and safely exit from the building in the case of fire or other emergency conditions. The fire escape device includes a vertical track or guide that slidably receives a slide in the form of a backpack attached to each person using the fire escape device. The slide or backpack includes an oscillatable control member that swings back and forth about an axis perpendicular to the track or guide and engages a plurality of projecting stationary pins oriented in staggered spaced relation on opposite side of the guide or track and control members that control the speed of descent of the slide or backpack and the individual supported thereon. An interlock device is provided to control access to the track or guide to insure proper sequential use of the fire escape device by a plurality of individuals. The lower end of the fire escape device includes an angulated discharge chute or ramp to enable the slide and occupant to exit from the track or transversly aligned control pins to stop the slide or backpack just prior to reaching a bottom support surface to enable a person to safely use the fire escape device. The control members also stop succeeding users until the lower most user has exited from the fire escape device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of fire escape devices have been provided in building structures inasmuch as various local building codes require that fire escape capabilities be incoporated into buildings. The following U.S. patents relate to this field of endeavor.
U.S. Pat. No. 802,252 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,172 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,965 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,140 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,543
While the structures disclosed in the above patents are relevant to this invention, the prior patents do not disclose the specific structure of the track, slide, descent control pins and spring biased control members and the interlock to control access to the track by the individual users.